


the prisoners

by 14crushed



Series: exploring the possibilities [1]
Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: (only present towards the end though), ... sort of, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Just Plain Epic Ending | JPE (Henry Stickmin), Minor Character(s), Rapidly Promoted Executive Ending | RPE (Henry Stickmin), Selectively Mute Henry Stickmin, Sneaky Escapist Ending | SE (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Civil Warfare Ending | TCW (Henry Stickmin), Toppat Clan Adopted Henry Stickmin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28846329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/14crushed/pseuds/14crushed
Summary: They make it all the way to The Bank, with two guards holding the culprit back as Dave steps out with the handcuffs. The culprit isn't resisting—he looks resigned to his fate, and very upset about what that fate is. It makes Dave feel a little bad, even if he isn't supposed to.What can he say? He’s still got a soft heart in him despite what his job entails.-A failed robbery, an uninspected package, and a breakout ties their fates together—for better or for worse.
Relationships: Dave Panpa & Henry Stickmin
Series: exploring the possibilities [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115336
Comments: 20
Kudos: 67





	1. imprisonment

“C’mon Dave, you've got this.”

It's the first time they're letting him go out and make an arrest. He’d wanted to go out on more before this point, just to feel like he's actually doing something, but the higher-ups wouldn't let him since he’s still a new hire. Dave suspects that wasn't the  _ real _ reason they were withholding him from being able to go to crime scenes and arrest people, since he has no problem firing a gun or breaking up fights between inmates (as much as he hates doing the latter), but he didn't really have the confidence to actually ask them about it. Just the price he has to pay for having a GAD, he supposes. 

Rupert had been pretty adamant about making sure Dave got to do something outside of the penitentiary, though, and their superiors couldn't budge against him like they could against Dave. Rupert’s been in the force for eight years—of course they trusted him when he told them Dave was capable. So they took his word for it when he said he could act as a supervisor for him today; he’d drive Dave out to The Bank where the culprit was being held and he could arrest them easily. An attempted robbery by an unarmed thief wouldn’t be too hard for him to handle. He's got this. 

They make it all the way to The Bank, with two guards holding the culprit back as Dave steps out with the handcuffs. The culprit isn't resisting—he looks resigned to his fate, and very upset about what that fate is. It makes Dave feel a little bad, even if he isn't supposed to.

What can he say? He’s still got a soft heart in him despite what his job entails. He cuffs the failed thief and shoves him into the back of the car, as gently as anyone can be shoved.

Later, he and Rupert learn his name is Henry Stickmin. One hundred and ten pounds, six feet tall, twenty-eight years old. Charged for attempted robbery and trespassing. Practically no important background history in the last ten years. 

Dave puts Henry into his cell once they get back. Henry doesn't look happy about it, but there isn't much he can do. He’s guilty. The camera footage of The Bank showed someone who was undeniably him sneaking in  disguised as a money bag . Still, Dave waves goodbye and gives him a smile before leaving to go do something else. 

He’ll be in there for a while. 

-

It’s a slow day at Red Mesa Penitentiary. Not enough crimes have happened in the immediate area for them to be the first ones called to make arrests and jail anyone. The last time Dave even remembers someone being arrested was a month ago, and he doesn’t even remember the guy’s name or what he did.

Rupert wasn't taking the lack of work as well as Dave was. He’s always been somewhat restless like that, he needed to be out on a job no matter how easy it was just to feel content. Dave doesn't really understand it. He couldn't live with needing to constantly overwork himself—he’s exhausted enough with what little he’s tasked with as it is. But then again, Rupert had been planning on joining the police force well before he even moved to New Mexico. He knew he would be getting a job that exhausted him on the daily, and he accepted it. Dave is just trying to get by.

He walks through the halls of the penitentiary, no real place to go in mind. Lunch break was in a few minutes, he could probably ask Rupert if he wanted to swing by Sandwich City to get something to eat. Maybe just go out by himself if he gets too overwhelmed to ask him, like always. Or he could just look for whatever’s in the break room and eat that. He doesn't really care. Anything to pass the time until his shift’s over. 

Well, he does care, just a bit. He doesn't want to look like a pathetic loser when he goes out for lunch, even though he always does. And the break room only ever has donuts. The donuts are... alright, he supposes. But he isn't getting through his shift on those alone. They're all usually gone by the time he gets there, anyways. 

Dave decides this time, he’ll actually ask Rupert to go to Sandwich City with him for lunch. He makes this same promise to himself every time, and backs out at the last second every time, but he knows today is his day. Today he’ll finally get to be around his coworker-slash-crush in someplace that isn't the prison or a bar for nights out with everyone else. He can do it. He’s an adult man, capable of taking care of himself, capable of asking someone out on a “date”.

He walks into the main lobby of the penitentiary. There’s a package on the ground, with ‘FRAGILE’ stamped on it in red. 

“Oh, a package, huh?” he ponders out loud. Strange. They usually didn't put packages in the lobby. Probably just a misplacement by a newbie.

Dave picks up the package gently, and hears Rupert calling out, “Oi, Dave!” from behind. He turns around to him, letting out a small “yup!” as he walks towards him. 

“Hey, I’ve got a package here for someone named…” he takes a moment to squint at the name the package is addressed to, “Henry.”

“Oh, Henry, huh?” Rupert snickers. “Didn’t think anyone'd be sendin' him something. His records say he’s got no immediate family.” He then shrugs. “It's alright, though. I love delivering packages. Let's get this to him and then we can go out for lunch together.”

The combination of  _ go out _ ,  _ lunch _ , and  _ together _ makes Dave's heart beat fast and gets him to pick up his pace as they head up to Henry’s cell. Together. Rupert follows behind him in seemingly no rush to deliver the package to Henry. Dave doesn't even remember who Henry is, much less where his cell is. 

They enter the elevator. “Hey, where’d we keep Henry again?” he asks. 

“Twelfth floor,” Rupert answers. “Surprised you don't remember him that well. He was the first arrest you ever made.”

Oh, that's who he was. The pathetic guy that got caught before he even did anything. “Well, it's not like it was a really big thing he did. Just attempted robbery. It's a little sad, honestly.”

“Well, he should've been a little more cautious if he wanted to pull it off. Did he really think a vault wouldn't have a security system?” Rupert presses the 12 button. The door closes as they ride up. “Not like we wouldn’t catch him anyways. We’re the top-rated penitentiary in Red Mesa.”

“We’re the only penitentiary in Red Mesa,” Dave points out.

“That's irrelevant.”

The elevator doors open to the twelfth floor. Rupert walks out first with Dave following behind, package in hand. Now that he thinks about, he wonders who would send Henry a package after an entire month. He didn’t have any close family, did he? He never got people visiting him, at least not from what Dave remembers. Maybe they couldn't visit and just had to settle for a package? What was in it, anyways?”

“Oi, you!” Rupert calls the inmate once they've reached his cell. Henry looks up. “You’re free to go.”

Henry beams.

Rupert laughs at him. Dave gives him a nervous smile. “Not really.”

Henry frowns. 

“But you've got a package,” Rupert continues, taking the package from Dave’s hands and inserting it into Henry’s cell. “Don't get your hopes up. We’ve already checked it for anything useful.” He looks back at Dave. “Haven't we, Dave?”

Dave hasn’t. 

“Yeah, yeah!” he lies. “Of course I checked it! I mean, if I didn't check it I’d lose my job, and I don't wanna lose my job!” 

He laughs nervously. That last part came out completely on impulse. Rupert looks at him strangely, but doesn't question it. He turns back to the prisoner, taunting him with “See ya around, ‘free to go’.” Rupert starts walking towards the elevator. Dave stays behind a bit to give Henry a small wave goodbye. 

“I thought that was pretty good, didn't you?” Rupert says as he catches up. Dave just nods. “We should head to lunch now. What’re you thinking? Sandwich City?”

“Yeah! Sounds great!” Dave agrees. “I've gotta take care of some things first, though. Could you wait for me a bit?”

“‘Course. I'll be at the lobby when you’re ready.” Rupert says, clicking his tongue as he keeps walking. Dave stays in place for a bit, staring at him from behind before walking back to where the door to the lockers was. All he had to do was fix himself up a bit, maybe take a bathroom break, check that Henry hasn't made any escape attempts with the package, then he’ll be on his way. Finally, he's getting somewhere with Rupert. Nothing could go wrong. 

While he’s opening the door, Henry’s grabbed a bar from the cell door and walked right out with it in hand. Something is going wrong. 

Rupert immediately takes notice of the sound, rushing towards Henry as fast as he can. Dave readies his taser to apprehend him if need be. Rupert tries to deliver a kick to Henry’s face, but he swings the cell bar at his head and knocks him to the ground. 

Dave, panicking, runs up to Henry as fast as possible in an attempt to subdue him with the taser. Henry anticipates him coming up from behind, thrusting his staff up. It hits him square in the chin and knocks the taser out of his hands. He’s knocked to the ground, with the activated taser falling right onto him and shocking him instead of his intended target. His vision blacks out, Henry making his escape being the last thing he sees.

-

They wake up a few hours later. Dave’s jaw hurts and he can't move most of his body without all of it hurting. Rupert has to hold an ice pack to his face for the rest of the day. Worst of all, though, is that Henry is gone. All that’s left in his cell is an open box and a cake.

Dave already knows what's coming as they walk to tell the captains what happened. He’s never been good at keeping jobs for long; his anxiety screws him over, or he fucks up in some other way, and every meeting he has with the higher-ups ends with him either walking on eggshells to keep his job or him already losing it. Or quitting because it's all too much to have to think about at once. He doesn't know how he's even managing at this point. 

“Dave,” Rupert says before they enter.

Dave looks at him. He’s dejected; it's very unlike him. He feels awful. “Yeah, Rupert?”

“You didn't actually check that package, did you?”

“... No.”

Dave is fired within an hour.

-

Surprisingly, Dave managed to bounce back alright from his embarrassing job loss at Red Mesa Penitentiary. About a month after getting fired, the local museum had posters up saying they were hiring security guards to work night shifts. He applied as soon as he could, absolutely nailing his interview and making a great impression on his first day. 

He's met a lot of good people the first week he was there. Sam and Jacob were probably the closest he had to friends at this new place, and Ted was friendly with him too. Zach was also cool despite his overuse of the walkie talkie. Kurt… didn't like him, at all, but that was fine with him. It's not like they ever got paired up together for shifts. Everyone else was cool too, but he didn’t talk enough with them to make a solid judgement on them.

Being a security guard is a lot less stressful than being a police officer. He still had a standard to meet, but overall it isn't as hectic at the museum as it was at the prison. Dave didn't have to break up fights and learn how to shoot to kill. He just has to take little kids back to their parents when they get lost and stop teens from climbing up displays to impress their friends and crushes. Plus, the museum's records of break-ins were zero to none. The security isn't the tightest, which Dave doesn't think he's helping, but to make up for it they rarely have anything of real value up. Everything they display is all replicated. It wouldn't get anyone a lot of money unless their buyers didn't check beforehand. 

Overall, being a security guard has been pretty promising for him, and it's only been two weeks. It's better than being a cop in every single way. Other than the fact that he can't talk to Rupert now, but it's fine. He’ll just… figure something out. 

He actually thinks he's going to keep this job for a while. 

The mayor of Red Mesa announced earlier that day that the Tunisian Archeological Exhibit is now officially open, with the center of attention being the Tunisian Diamond. It's the first time the museum’s ever displayed something of actual value, which made Dave a little nervous. Red Mesa wasn’t known for its criminal activity, with most of the inmates kept in the penitentiary locked up for small crimes they could be released from in a month, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be an  _ attempt  _ to steal the diamond. If the incident at The Bank was any indication, someone was going to try and get rich quick. He just hopes they don't succeed. Or that it isn't the same guy. 

God, he  _ really _ hopes it isn't the same guy. 

Dave is partnered up with Kurt to guard the WWII exhibit for the night. Kurt is visibly unhappy with the arrangement, but Dave doesn't mind. As long as he doesn't annoy him too much, he’ll be fine. Hopefully he doesn't mind that he always rambles to fill the silence. The quiet is always too much to bear for him. Sam gives him a sympathetic smile when he tells them that he's gotten partnered up with Kurt. They grab onto his shoulders gently, telling him “Good luck,” then moving to their part of the museum for the night. 

Good god does he hope he has good luck tonight. 

It’s quiet, as expected, with Kurt not paying any attention to Dave. Dave spends most of the shift playing on his phone up until the battery dies, which leaves him with no other options but to wait out the shift in silence. He doesn't wanna do that. 

“So, uh, how's your... How's your day been?” he asks Kurt. It comes out quieter than he expected. Kurt looks at him with… something on his face. Dave can't tell what he's feeling, but it's probably nothing good.

“Okay.” He doesn't even give him a whole sentence.

“Cool, cool. That's, um, good?” he continues. Wow. He is fumbling so fucking bad and he's only one question in. “You have any hobbies or something?”

“Watching sports.” Absolutely deadpan. No emotion in his voice whatsoever. This is making Dave feel even worse than when they weren't talking at all.

“Nice! That's, uh, cool. I don't know much about sports, like, at all. Glad that it, uh… is… cool? For you?”

Kurt keeps staring at him. It's painfully clear he's becoming very annoyed with Dave’s stammering and questions. He feels like he's going to die right then and there. 

“So, uh,” he keeps going on, and he swears he can hear Kurt mentally groaning. “What was your job before this? How did you uh… get here? You don't seem to really like it here.”

Kurt stares him down harder. Dave feels himself shrinking in on himself as he keeps staring. “It's not your business.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry I was just, asking to like… fill the silence. I don't do well when it's super quiet and I can't distract myself,” Dave apologizes. “I used to be a police officer. Sounds a little weird for someone like me, huh? Well, yeah. It was. I wasn't really good at being a police officer. I only got to arrest one person before I got fired.

“Funny story about that, actually! I was only there for like, a month,” Dave starts, completely oblivious to how little Kurt actually cares. “So like, there was this one prisoner who got arrested for trying to break into The Bank. You know, the vault in the middle of nowhere? That's the one. Anyways, he was the one person I arrested. So there was this package for him in the lobby, and I thought it was just some small thing a friend sent him. I didn't check it. That was my big mistake.

“Me and my partner—like a work partner! We weren't, and still aren't, dating—went up to deliver it to him. My partner made some jab at him and teased him about “being free” which made me feel bad for him. Then we gave him the package. We  _ were _ gonna go on break, but then I had to go do something, and then he got out of his cell somehow, and we both got knocked unconscious.

“We were out for like an hour. Only two other guards saw what happened. It was, uh, something. The prisoner was gone. The cell door had a gap in it where a bar was supposed to be. And there was just… a cake there. And the empty box,” Dave’s at the tail end of his story, and Kurt looks really annoyed, so hopefully after this he never has to talk to him again and he can tell their manager he never wants to be scheduled to work with him again. “Yeah so, apparently there was something in that cake. And he used it to escape. And then I got fired. Pretty lame, huh? Yeah, I don't really like this p-”

“Ugh,  _ please,” _ Kurt interrupts him. “Shut up.”

“Oh,” Dave instantly feels his insides deflating as Kurt shoots down his confidence. He laughs nervously. “I was just trying to have a conversation, you know? Since, I mean, we're partners so... I just-just wanted to... Get-get to know each other... a little bit.”

Kurt groans again, covering his face. Dave keeps scrambling for more things to say to explain himself. “Just, you know, just to lighten things up I mean... What's gonna happen in a museum? I mean, really. Do you feel a-”

One of the model airplanes of the exhibit flies right at Kurt and knocks him to the ground. Dave panics, looking to the direction of where it came from and seeing… God, of  _ course _ it's him. 

Dave runs away from Henry, looking back to keep his eyes on him, and to make sure he doesn't start attacking him next. “Oh god, I gotta warn some-”

He immediately runs into a pillar and is knocked to the ground. He groans, feeling his consciousness fade in and out. His head is throbbing in pain. He has to let it rest, but he can't let himself black out. Not again. He knows why Henry is here, he isn't stupid. He's trying to steal the Tunisian Diamond. Dave can't get fired again, especially not from a job he actually likes.

Henry runs over to where Dave lies, hiding behind the pillar away from another guard’s view. The one that's always sleeping, Dave can barely remember his name. Todd. Todd Slimmonds. Todd doesn't notice either of them.

Right before Dave feels like he's going to pass out, Henry turns to him and… mouths something. Is he talking? He can't tell. He's bad at lip reading, but it almost looks like he's… apologizing? For something? There's a lot of things he could be apologizing for. Maybe he's saying sorry for all of them? Dave doesn't know. He's too tired to think about it, and too tired to do anything but pass out when Henry runs towards the Retro Room to get closer to the Tunisian Diamond.

-

Dave wakes up to a completely ruined museum and a card from the Center for Chaos Containment tucked in his shirt pocket. 

Most of the guards are badly injured and need to be hospitalized. Of course, the Tunisian Diamond is gone, as well as Henry. Apparently, a bunch of paintings got stolen too. He doesn't even have to guess who's responsible for that.

Sam, Jacob and Ted managed to evacuate him out of the building before it got completely destroyed. Dave had to latch onto Sam for a bit to keep himself completely grounded, but they didn't mind. They did what they could to keep him calm while everyone else was evacuating, whispering reassuring things to him and holding onto him in return. Jacob checked for any injuries he sustained, while Ted went back to look for the rest of the staff in the absolute disaster of a museum. 

The place is a mess. There's debris everywhere and dozens of sirens going off from all types of vehicles. Among the ruins of the museum were scraps from a giant robot, with the CCC’s logo plastered on one of its parts. Well, at least Dave knows what caused the museum to fall apart during his unconscious state. The CCC was never known for using subtle methods of “chaos containment”. 

Ted comes back a few minutes later with Timothy, Joseph and Jeff trailing behind him. “They're the only other ones I found in all this mess. Everyone else is either being hospitalized or… worse.”

Dave shudders at the implication. Sam squeezes him tight for reassurance. “Did anyone see what happened before the CCC sent a robot here?” they ask. “I was in the medieval section with Billy and Rich, so we never got to see the intruder responsible for getting the CCC involved.”

“Me and Tim were there,” Joseph answers. “There was this guy in the Retro Room that got a hold of one of the Super Mushrooms. He grew really big and somehow ended up waking a baby pterodactyl from inside an egg. And then things started falling apart. And, well… you know the rest.”

Of course. Henry wasn't really known for his subtle ways of breaking into and out of places, either.

Jacob sighs. “Well, looks like there isn't much for us to do here now. We’re all out of a job for a while, I guess.” Various sounds of resignation come from everyone. “Why don't we all just head home for now? And we can get some drinks on the weekend?”

Everyone eventually splits off from each other to go home. Dave manages to detach himself from Sam and calls for an Uber to take him home. During the call, he notices a group of people running towards the museum, or whatever was left of it. He wouldn’t think anything of it if it weren’t for their wardrobe; they all looked to be wearing hats of some kind.

Dave cancels on the Uber, deciding he can call for one later after he's done investigating the people he saw. He sneaks towards them slowly, making sure he isn't caught snooping. He was never really a sleuth of any kind, so he's extremely nervous, but he manages to get close enough to them that he can hear what they’re talking about. He hides behind some rubble for cover.

“Gene, are you alright?” a woman’s voice asks. Gene is the first name of the mayor. Is Mayor Fredrickson with them?

“Yes, I’m quite alright, Carol,” the mayor answers. Oh, so he  _ is _ with them. Cool. Who are these people anyways?

“Can’t believe the CCC destroyed this place before you could even finalize the plans to steal the diamond,” someone with a thick Scottish accent adds. “Worst of all, someone’s already stolen it before you could! Isn't that absolute dogshit?”

Wait, the mayor was going to  _ steal  _ the diamond?

“It's unfortunate,” Gene agrees. “There's not much we can do about that, though. At least Reginald got us the Romanian Ruby, and we might get the Norwegian Emerald soon.”

Dave feels himself start shaking. This is not something he should be listening in on. Is the mayor talking about heist plans? He remembers hearing about the Romanian Ruby getting stolen by a large criminal organization a while back. He doesn't remember the name of the organization, but all mugshots of the members showed them wearing top hats in various sizes, shapes, and colors. It seemed so… bizarre to him, that there was an entire criminal organization that everyone knows is guilty, but that still hasn't been taken down yet. And they all wore top hats.

Now that he thinks about it, the mayor wears a top hat too, doesn't he?

“Better pray that we do, at least,” a gruff voice responds to the mayor. “The chief’s got a knack for planning heists, but if today has taught us anything, it's that anyone or anything can and  _ will _ interfere.”

“Maybe we should look for that sneaky bastard who stole our diamond. Ask 'em to join the Toppat Clan,” the Scot proposes. “They've gotta have a lot of skills to manage to steal a precious jewel in all that chaos.”

_ Oh yeah, Henry would fit right in with those guys _ , Dave ponders. It makes him snort a bit thinking about it. He hears guns clicking in response. Uh oh.

“Hey! Is someone there?!” the woman’s voice yells out. 

“Come on out, wherever you are! There’s no use hiding from the Toppat Clan!” the Scot taunts. 

Dave freezes in place, completely silent. Good god, he has had terrible luck tonight. He can't die here. Not now. Not when he has crucial information he needs to report to the authorities, not when he's actually enjoying his job and especially not when he actually has friends-

“Wallace. Macbeth. Stand guard for the mayor,” the woman commands them. “Gene, stay with them. I'm going to look for whoever that was.”

The other two Tophat—Toppat?—members let out huffs of agreement. Dave, still frozen in fear, prays that he's given some mercy whenever she finds him.

He can hear her footsteps on the grass getting closer to his hiding spot. His heart pounds so hard that he can feel the vibrations in his ears. Is he going to die? Is this the price he pays for wanting to do some good in the world despite his terrible luck? Is this what it means for curiosity to kill the cat?

Dave doesn't get to answer those questions himself. She finds him, and he’s out cold the moment he looks her in the eyes. 

-

This time, Dave wakes up… somewhere. 

He’s in a room with only a little space. Enough space that he can walk around, but not enough for him to feel like he has free reign in this little block. In fact, he's pretty sure he’s trapped. The door won't open when he shakes the handle. Punching it only makes his knuckles hurt.

“Hmph. You’re clearly not the brightest prisoner we’ve ever had,” a voice with a British accent remarks. 

Dave stops attempting to break the door open, instead shivering at what’s just been said to him. “P-prisoner?”

“That's right,” another voice, with another accent, confirms. “Look out your cell, boy. We got some talkin’ to do.”

He looks up and is greeted with two men in fancy clothes standing outside of his room. Or, cell. One of them wears two top hats on his head with a golden chain around his neck and a brown curly mustache, while the other has a wide-brimmed top hat and a red handlebar mustache. From their looks alone, Dave can already tell he's in the presence of high-ranking members of the… whatever they were called again. 

“Well, nice to see you finally woke up. Almost thought you actually died before we could get you up here,” the double-top hat man says. “Well, you'll be here for a while, so let us introduce ourselves. I’m Reginald Copperbottom, and this is my Right Hand Man. We’re the leaders of the Toppat Clan.”

Reginald. Dave remembers Gene saying that name before he got captured. So, he really is a member of the clan. 

“Uh, hi,” Dave says meekly. “Do you, uh, need my name too, or...?”

“No. We don't care,” the Right Hand Man answers. 

“Oh,” he responds. “Okay!”

He scoffs at him. Reginald doesn't pay any mind to their exchange. “Well, in any case, you're our prisoner now. You have information you shouldn't know at all, so you're stuck here until we find you too useless to be on our ship.”

Great. Cool. Wonderful. Dave can feel his insides melting. 

“You overheard Gene's plans to steal the Tunisian Diamond, hm?” Reginald continues. “You're lucky you're still alive, you know. If it hadn't been for Carol's caution to kill someone who probably had useful information... Well, I’m sure you get the picture.”

Dave gets the picture all too well, and shudders at the thought of it. Had he really been that close to dying? He was barely conscious when the CCC's robot attacked, sure, but it was more terrifying to think that he was at the mercy of the Toppat Clan now because he let his curiosity get the better of him. He almost wishes they killed them when they saw him.

“Well, does it really matter now?” Dave asks. “The Tunisian Diamond's already gone. The local thief in Red Mesa already stole it during all that mess before you guys could even get to it.”

“Local thief?” Right quirks a brow at him. “Didn’t think you actually caught sight of whoever stole our precious jewel. Sounds like you're familiar with ‘em.”

“I... guess I am?” he answers. “I've encountered him a few times. He's, uh, kind of ruined my life? I arrested him when he broke into The Bank, and then I accidentally broke him out of prison and got fired, and then we met again at the museum when he was stealing the diamond, and here I am. So, uh, yeah. We've got… _ some _ kind of history.”

Reginald stares him down. Dave feels himself shrink involuntarily. “Do you know his name?”

“Yeah. Henry Stickmin,” Dave answers. Both the leader and the right hand's eyes widen.

“You’re absolutely serious?” Reginald asks him. Dave nods, and Reginald covers his mouth with his hand in shock. What did Henry have to do with the Toppat Clan?

“Reg,” Right says, turning to his boss. “If he’s tellin’ the truth, that means…”

“Yes, I know," Reginald responds, breathing in. “He's somewhere in New Mexico. We need to send a squad to find him in that area. Tell Burt to call the higher-ups to the meeting room. It's top priority that we bring him home. Postpone the Norwegian Emerald raid until further notice.”

Bring him home?

“You.”

Dave jumps a bit. “Y-yeah, sir?”

Reginald scoffs a bit at him. “You're... useful. For the time being. We won't kill you. You... you might help bring a family together again. So we'll grant you mercy for now.”

A family?

“Right Hand Man, let's go.”

And they leave. Dave's back to being alone in his cell, left to think about everything Reginald just told him. Mayor Fredrickson was a member of the Toppat Clan. He could've almost died if it weren't for that one Toppat—Carol—being hesitant. Henry has connections with the Toppats—familial ones. He's still alive. They want to keep him alive because he “knows” a lost member of their family.

Maybe if they find Henry, and if Henry remembers him fondly enough, he can convince them to never kill him. Or to treat him well. Or to let him join so he won't worry about going insane because he's being held hostage. 

Mostly, though, Dave just wants to be set free. He doesn't think Henry can convince them to do that.


	2. jailbreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW at the beginning for mentions of isolation and verbal/emotional abuse

How Dave was able to keep track of the days— _months_ —the Toppat Clan kept him in captivity is beyond him. Scratching tallies into the wall are all he has to keep himself grounded. What it started as, he has no idea, but now it's become a reminder to himself that he is still alive and still has something to hang onto

Time is a lost concept for him. What he has now is routine, which is not a suitable replacement. He has to think to himself about how he’ll try to not lose his mind that day, and make sure that he marked the day the moment he’s woken up so he’d still remember that he’s alive. He’s made it _this far,_ so he has to keep going. He has to go further if he ever wants to be saved.

‘Saved.’ It’s just wishful thinking at this point. 

Help isn't coming for him. Dave knows that much. 

Something happened to his phone before the Toppat Clan took him. Either he dropped it when he was knocked out, or they took it from him and destroyed it so no one could track him through it. Whichever way he lost it doesn't matter. He was completely alone when he saw the Toppats running towards Gene, so no one's going to know he's missing. No one’s going to know they took him. No one's going to find him holed up in a prison cell hundreds of feet up in the air.

That's the worst part of his captivity—the loneliness. The inherent isolation that comes with being a prisoner. 

The members tasked with “brig duty” made a point to always complain about how much they hated getting stuck with it. Whether it was delivering food to him or taking him out for bathroom breaks or just making sure he hadn't died in there, they always managed to say or do something about it that made his guts twist and made him feel like a living inconvenience. A personification of something you wish wasn't there, but that you can't do anything about it. Every moment he spends still on this airship makes him feel hollow.

But even when some of the Toppats just mocked him and insulted him, he just took it like it was nothing. He wouldn't respond to them, and he's pretty sure he isn't allowed to, but they keep digging at him anyways until they get annoyed with how unresponsive he is. He expected that they’d leave him after that, but they kept coming back. It hurts that they do, but it’s better that they hang around him despite his silence and make him feel terrible than leave him to rot all by himself. He needs _some_ attention. And those Toppats give it to him, even if it kills him. 

He has to convince himself that it’s horrible to be left alone to be able withstand what they throw at him. When he’s alone, he’s reminded he’s going to be stuck here for the unforeseeable future. It’s strange; the Toppats say the same things to him, but it hurts less hearing it from them, because from them it's just a fact. When he realizes on his own, it's the horrible realization that he’s never going to return to a normal life. 

The only Toppats that Dave can remember being nice, or at the very least decent people, were Carol, Reginald and the Right Hand Man. They’re the only ones he can voluntarily respond to. Carol liked to check up on him to make sure he was still alive, and she’d give him updates on Henry’s search. He doesn't think she trusts him, not like anyone does, but she must hold enough pity for him to not want to outright insult him like everyone else does. 

The leaders, of course, only come to him to ask if there's anything else he remembers about Henry. There’s nothing. Dave’s responses are the same every time: He knows the Tunisian Diamond’s thief was Henry Stickmin. He was jailed in Red Mesa Penitentiary for a little over a month. He broke out. He stole the diamond during the CCC’s “chaos containment”. He has no idea where he lives. 

To say either of them are disappointed when he repeats himself is an understatement. The Right Hand Man told him once he doesn't even know why Reginald still bothers, but he suspects it's because Dave is the only link to his son he has left. Dave doesn't know how to respond to that.

It's not awful. Dave likes to think it isn't, at least. He's being fed, he doesn't have to pee in a pot, they make sure he's alive, and that's good. It doesn't even matter to him how horrible everyone is to him all the time, because there are people that still treat him normally. He's still alive, and he's useful to them, and that means something. What does it mean? He doesn't know. He wants it to be good. 

There are far too many tallies on his cell to count the months he's been captured. Dave must be losing his mind. He wishes being saved was an option.

-

It’s routine now. It is the only routine he knows for a long while. 

He wakes up, he marks that day, waits to be fed, takes the verbal beating he gets from the Toppat members, and reminds himself that he's still alive and that it means something. Rinse and repeat, continue the cycle. Whatever fills up the rest of the day doesn't matter to him, as long as it's something that can distract him from his thoughts. He can't be alone with his mind for too long. 

Routine is good in situations like this, Dave thinks, but it's so stagnating at times that it feels almost painful to live. He wishes there was some change, even just a little. Like a new prisoner to talk to so he wouldn't be as lonely, or better food, or even just a nicer Toppat member that cares about him more than anyone else and wants him to be okay. That last one is impossible, and the idea of being treated nicely by the people who are holding him captive makes him feel sick, but he craves it so badly that he can’t stop himself from wanting it.

He wants better. He wants better so badly that even thinking of letting himself stay in that shell where he lets himself be walked all over makes him want to throw up. 

It’s a start; Dave doesn't stop himself from wanting better. It’s a horrible and guilty feeling at first, until he remembers that those Toppats have no idea what he's actually thinking about. Their ideas will never truly be the thoughts that actually flow through his mind as he stays cooped up in his cell. It feels good to remember that he can still be in control of his own thoughts while he's here. They might control how he lives, but he can control what he can do and what he can feel and think. It’s a breath of fresh air that he can't ever share with anyone else. 

It’s still routine. But his routine gets better, even if him and his situation don’t. 

-

There’s something off about today. 

Sitting in the brig doesn’t really give Dave access to a lot of conversation or noise, but usually there was still _something_ for him to hear. The brig sits right next to the vault, where he’d usually see one or two Toppats walking out in the afternoon, but he hasn’t seen anyone since he was given food this morning. 

The bridge right above the cells was always used whenever some Toppats wanted to go from the cargo bay to their rooms to rest. He’d hear the occasional footsteps against metal every now and then—a calming sound to him—but he hadn't heard it at all since this morning, either. It’s strange. This is the first time in the months he's spent here that it’s been so… quiet. He isn't sure if he likes it.

It’s fine, though. He’s sure it is. They’re all probably gathered up in some room far from the brig and having an important meeting. He heard little whispers about a big plan they had coming up, one that would take them to even greater heights and make them basically unstoppable. He’s scared of what that means for him, but he’s sure it’ll work out. The plan won't launch for a while, anyways. Probably.

So, he has this quiet to himself. It’s such a rare opportunity, the first opportunity he's ever even had here. What does he say? It's been a while since he's heard his own voice saying what _he_ wanted to say, and not what he had to say to the leaders or Carol to satisfy them. He’s a rambler—he can talk about anything he wants for as long as possible, even without a listening ear. And right now, there are practically no listening ears. Thankfully.

Remembering the leaders makes his mind wander to Henry. How long has it been since Henry’s seen them? When did Henry leave them? Was Henry's disappearance on purpose? Does Henry even want to come back? Dave has no idea what the answer to any of those questions are, but if there's anything about Henry he feels he has to ask out loud, he knows what it is.

“I wonder how close they are to finding him.”

And the following crash answers his question. 

The metal bridge above the brig has completely collapsed, aside from a small platform on Dave’s side of the room that someone is standing on. The person is muttering curses under their breath and the sound of a card swiper denying their swipe repeats over and over. From what he can hear, they have a British accent. That's not really anything new, almost everyone on the ship does, but it sounds more uppity compared to the ones he usually hears. It's almost familiar, somehow?

“Damnit!” Dave hears them curse. Ah, it’s Reginald. 

Wait.

That’s Reginald. Why is he running away from Henry?

Dave stares at Henry as he lies on the ground for a few seconds, who then gets up and catches him staring. Their gazes lock on each other for a bit, neither of them looking away (as much as Dave _really_ wants to), and Henry gives him a small wave before pulling out a rocket jumper from… somewhere. Dave doesn't catch where it comes from, but that doesn't matter as he launches himself up. The doors Reginald was struggling with finally open up, and they're both gone in an instant.

He stares at the part of the bridge that got ripped off from Henry’s fall and the fallen rocket jumper he used to get up to Reginald. Even more thoughts are swimming in Dave’s mind that he feels he's drowning in, and the acceleration of his heartbeat isn't helping. He breathes in, preparing to speak them, and then breathes back out and paces in his cell.

“Okay, okay,” he mutters to himself. “So, that was–that was Henry. That _had_ to be Henry. Did–did they find him? Did they finally find him? But, the chief sounded like he was running away. Did he not realize who it was? How–how long has Henry been away? Why is he here now? Did Henry recognize me? Is he—is he going to save me? Or, at the very least, help me?”

He isn’t sure where his last questions come from, but he has no time to think about what he’s saying. He keeps rambling and rambling to calm his nerves, and then an announcement queue sounds and Dave quiets himself to hear it. 

“Attention everyone,” a voice announces. “Reginald Copperbottom has been dethroned as the leader of the Toppat Clan. Everyone, welcome back our Toppat Prince—and new leader—Henry Stickmin.”

-

Henry and Reginald walk up to his cell a few hours later. Henry is newly adorned in the black top hat Reginald once wore, and the golden chain that used to be around his father’s neck now circles his hat. He’s dressed as fancy as Dave would expect any Toppat member to dress, but he took the liberty of wearing his suit jacket on his shoulders instead of properly wearing it. He really looks like he belongs here, and even more like he’s the one in charge. 

Dave can’t stop staring. Henry, if he notices, doesn't care enough to stop him. Reginald glares disapprovingly at both of them.

 _“Ahem.”_ He clears his throat. “Prisoner-”

“Dave,” Henry corrects. Dave almost jumps at the realization that Henry not only remembers his name, but went out of his way to tell Reginald.

Reginald sighs. “Yes, Dave. I believe some thanks are in order from us to you, despite the fact that none of the information you gave us actually ended up being useful in helping me find my son.”

“Oh, uh, you're welcome? I guess?” Dave responds. He processed absolutely none of what Reginald said to him. He’s still stuck on Henry remembering his name.

“You should be thankful too, you know. I have a feeling your life is going to change for the better now that there's someone else in charge,” Reginald continues. 

Dave perks up, but he’s immediately shot down with, “Don't get any ideas. This doesn't mean you're _free._ Gene fled his position as mayor recently because of some footage that caught our members talking about his plans to steal the Tunisian Diamond, as well as your capture.”

Henry looks to the side with something vaguely reminiscent of guilt. Dave slumps against the wall of his cell and lets out a resigned sigh. Unsurprised, but still let down. “Not like you guys were planning on freeing me anyways. Thanks for the special treatment, though. All I did was watch your son chase you down a hallway while you kept failing a card swipe, but I appreciate it.”

Henry gives his dad a strained smile, while Reginald breathes through his nose with frustration. “Thank you for. Reminding me of that.” He glares down at Dave harder than before. “But I believe that, somehow, you might have played a part in him coming here. Like… a fate of some kind, since you two have apparently already encountered each other so often.”

Some fate he's stuck with.

“I guess I’m cursed, then,” Dave thinks out loud. Henry gives him the same look from back at the museum. He wonders which of them feels more guilty after he says that.

“I suppose so. Enjoy what little pleasantries you have while it lasts.”

Reginald walks out of the brig, with Henry staying behind to keep Dave company. He doesn't say anything, but he knows what he wants to say. The quiet that stays reminds him of a few hours prior when he didn't know if he’d ever see Henry again.

“... It’s fine, you know,” Dave starts. “You don't have to apologize again. Me being here isn't on you. It’s my own fault I ended up here.”

“Doesn't mean you deserve to be here,” Henry responds. It’s the first time he’s ever heard his voice in full clarity, all quiet and scratchy from what Dave presumes is not using it often. He catches himself hoping he's the first person to hear it like this.

“There isn't really anything you can do about that, though, is there?”

“I’m sorry.”

Henry leaves, his head hanging low in shame, with Dave alone in his cell to think about how his name sounded in that voice.

-

Reginald was right. His life did change for the better, but only in small ways. Dave can't say he's surprised that there hasn't been a major uplift in his treatment, but the disappointment of knowing he is still just a prisoner to everyone around him lingers. 

The Toppat members that pass by the brig don't insult him as often. That's a good thing. The Toppat members that are on brig duty now are kinder to Dave than those before. That's also good. The food he’s given now is a lot more edible that it used to be. Small changes, changes that won't lead to anything, but still make it a little bit easier to live with his grim fate.

It doesn't make him hopeful, as much as he wished he could be. It set in only a week or so after his capture that he’d never see the light of day again, and now they’ll probably never kill him because Henry is in charge. But Henry doesn’t have complete power either—Reginald doesn't want Dave free, and he knows he’ll do everything he can to stop his son from releasing him against his wishes. It’s been a while since he’s seen the Right Hand Man, but Dave doesn't doubt he feels the same way as Reginald, given that his loyalty is so strong he died just to protect him. What a messy family situation.

He feels bad for Henry, he really does. Dave doesn't know the specifics, but he gets the feeling he isn't exactly happy with his position. The Toppats that pass by always comment on his leadership style: he plans things all on his own and barely passes anything through Reginald. They aren't happy with it, and Henry isn't happy with where he is, and it's overall not a great time for anyone on the airship. But it isn't like Dave can actually _do_ anything to help the situation—Reginald and Right don't stop by anymore, every conversation Henry tries to start with him is awkward and dies quick, and he’s not their family counselor. He doesn't even know if there is a problem, or if he's just creating ones that aren't there to cope with his helplessness.

He’s felt like that a lot lately: never being able to do much about the situation he’s in. Never got to do much at the penitentiary, never got to check the package before it got delivered. Never got the chance to warn everyone about Henry in the museum, never got to run away before the Toppats captured him. And now he’ll never get to escape the prison they hold him in.

They are both prisoners, in a way. Dave is being held captive by the Toppat Clan itself, while the expectations of the clan and his family are what keep Henry chained.

Does it really matter that there's small changes for the better, when he’s been so fucked over by fate itself and given nothing but bad cards all because of one person? He can’t tell. Where he is now, there is nothing that gives him hope. But he still desperately wants all these little things, things that no one other than Henry could have done for him, to mean something.

-

It’s night and Dave can’t sleep. This isn't anything new. 

He’s fortunate enough that the Toppats gave their prisoners something to sleep on in their cells. Obviously, it's not comfortable, but he will take it over sleeping with his limbs bundled up or standing up straight. At least his pillow isn't filled with rocks or is a rock like the ones in the penitentiary cells were, and nobody ever comes to the brig at night. That helps him sleep better, whenever that happens. He might be able to keep track of the days, but the time during the day is an entirely different story. 

His eyelids are getting heavy. Today was a normal day in whatever kind of life he has now. He can rest now, he _should_ rest now, and he’ll be alive in the morning and ready to scratch another tally into the metal wall of his cell. It's close to six months, he thinks. He finally got around to counting. He should rest.

The door on Dave’s side of the brig opens with a hiss. Any thoughts of going to bed are immediately thrown out of his mental window and he's put on high alert. He instinctively grabs the crappy sheets of his bed and tries to hide his face with them, like a child trying to hide that he was staying up late in secret. Whoever enters doesn't seem to notice and thinks he's blissfully asleep. They approach the cell door and put their hands on the glass of the window.

He would pray that he isn't going to die, until he remembers that he won't. Only one person ever comes here of their own free will anymore. But why now of all times?

“I’m going to set you free,” a worn-out voice says. Either to Dave or just to themself, it doesn't matter. He knows who’s saying it.

Who else would it be, really?

“Orbital station project won't let us bring prisoners into space,” he continues. “Can't let them hurt you more.”

That must be what their big plan was, then. Ambitious, but definitely something they could pull off. He shudders at the implications of them ‘hurting him more’.

“You don’t deserve to be here,” he keeps saying, his words carrying so much sincerity and guilt that it hits Dave hard. He _means_ it. He means with every fiber of his being. “Sorry for the bank. And the job. And the museum. Sorry for everything.”

 _‘It’s okay,’_ forms in his mind, but dies in his throat. He's surprised by his own response. When did he start to feel so sentimental for him?

He barely knows Henry, and the things he thinks he knows about him will remain undetermined for a long time. What he thinks he knows are just conclusions he comes to based on the few interactions he's had with him and all the rumors he's heard. All the _“Boss looks upset today”_ s and _“He never talks to Reginald or the Right Hand Man anymore”_ s and _“Why does he always go to see that prisoner?”_ s don't mean what he thinks they do, do they? It has to mean something else. There's no way someone with as much power as Henry is willing to break the rules for someone as pathetic as Dave. He doesn't deserve that.

“Wish I could've done more. Should've done more, but he won't let me,” Henry coughs. “He doesn't get it. Doesn't get why I care so much. But he doesn't want to kill you. Thinks keeping you here and abandoning you is somehow better.”

He coughs again, harder this time. He must not be used to talking so much, even for shorter periods of time. Dave feels guilty that he's making him exert himself more than he should, even if it isn't his fault.

“Again. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” finally escapes Dave’s throat, but it's so hushed that he doubts Henry could have heard him. He isn't sure if he wants him to hear.

“I will make it up to you. You deserve better. Wait for me.”

Henry’s footsteps echo until he's out of the brig. Dave is willing to wait for whatever he needs to. He's been waiting this entire time.

-

Henry’s missing.

That’s the only thing he hears about all day from the Toppats passing by. The ones delivering him food and escorting him to the bathroom don't comment on their leader’s disappearance, but they’re both more worried than the rest of them are. Dave can’t imagine how bad Reginald and the Right Hand Man must have it. 

It’s weird not seeing Henry for the entire day. He’s not sure what he’s supposed to do without all of his awkward attempts to start a conversation and his lingering presence where he feels too nervous to talk, but too guilty to leave Dave alone. It was almost sweet how much Henry cared, but they were at an impasse, because neither of them knew what to say or if they should even say anything. 

What would they have said to one another, anyways? Dave just wants to be free and all Henry can do is apologize, and Henry seems to want to go back to life on his own and all Dave can do is tell him it's okay. They can't give each other what they need. At least not now. 

All he has to do is wait. 

And he waits for a while, thankfully without any of the Toppats trying to dig under his skin again. With Henry’s disappearance, they'd have a reason to do so without getting in any actual trouble, because Reginald and Right have made it obvious that they don't care about what happens to him at all. Reginald must have kept a promise to Henry, because there's no way he would have enforced that on his own, or maybe the Right Hand Man is holding him to something to make their relationship with their son better. Whatever the case may be, he's glad nothing has changed for the worse with them. He never wants to go back to hearing them rip his self-worth apart every minute they get. 

He can't help but wonder what Henry’s up to now that he’s gone. His departure must have been intentional, he's sure of it. There's no way he’d tell Dave to wait for him the night before he left otherwise. He must have some sort of plan then, but what exactly _is_ his plan? Why did he have to wait for it? What is he even doing right now? Is he safe?

No, he's definitely safe. As safe as Henry can be in whatever he gets up to, at least. He can definitely handle himself. Anything he could be caught up in is probably nothing compared to everything else that's happened. It's fine, he’ll be fine, Dave doesn't even know why he cares so much. Sure, they've known each other for almost a year at this point, but that doesn't really _mean_ anything. They only know each other like how classmates do; names that are familiar to one another but that they don't give a second thought to. 

But that isn't entirely true. Dave has given Henry more than enough second thoughts ever since the museum incident, with even more when he became the Toppat Leader, and in turn Henry has also thought more and more about Dave and what to do _for_ Dave. He doesn't understand him. He can steal anything he wants, break himself out of prison, destroy a museum for a diamond and get multiple people killed in the process, but he loses himself when he tries to talk to some irrelevant ex-cop and security guard with an anxiety disorder and trauma. 

What does Henry see in him? Why does Henry care about him? What motivates Henry to try so hard to make it up to him? Is it pity? Guilt? Trust? Dave doesn't know, but he doesn't back down on his efforts. Does he find it endearing that Henry cares so much? He doesn't know that, either. 

After dinner is served, Dave hears footsteps on the bridge above the cells that stop abruptly over him. There's some whisper-shouting happening between whoever’s walking; it sounds like they're arguing over something. 

“Geoffrey,” one of the voices addresses the other. Dave immediately perks up upon hearing it; he recognizes who’s talking. It's one of the Toppats Henry put on brig duty for him, the one with two monocles. “You _know_ I can't help but worry about how he's doing outside of the ship. We _need_ to track where his escape pod landed.”

“Thomas, you're overreacting,” Geoffrey, the other, shorter Toppat on brig duty, tells his friend. “Henry’s been through a ton, and I get why you're worried, but he’s going to be fine. He _told_ us to wait for him, remember?”

Huh. So, he wasn't the only one who got Henry’s memo. Dave wonders how many others know. 

“I _know_. But Henry has his limits. I just want to be there for him and help him through whatever he's going through right now,” Thomas says. He sighs, pausing for a moment. “Shouldn't we at least tell Reginald?”

“No.”

“Geoffrey! Please?”

“You know what Henry told us! Listen, I get it. You've known Reg and Right for a long time. And Terrence, too. Of course you want the two of them to know that he's okay. But Henry doesn't want that. He doesn't wanna be here.”

_He doesn't wanna be here._

Of course he doesn't. He knew. But how long have they known?

“I know, I know… It’s just hard to process. I've been there for him for so much of his life that it’s hard to think that I might never see him again.”

“Hey, sweetheart, don't you worry.” Dave hears the sound of Geoffrey, presumably, lightly slapping Thomas on the shoulder. “He might not wanna stay here, but I’m sure he still wants to keep in touch. He loves us, you know? We're his uncles. Maybe we can even leave with him, if he lets us.”

Thomas chuckles softly. “That would be nice. Three former Toppats and an ex-prisoner… wouldn't that be a wild group?”

“Heh. Yeah, it would be. C’mon, let's get to bed. We’ll see him soon enough.”

Their footsteps get further away until the automatic door opens and Dave can't hear them anymore. He leans against the wall of his cell, staring into the one right in front of him, and lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. And with that breath comes tears. 

They aren't the tears he's used to crying when he's alone in his cell. They're not the tears of loneliness and ostracization and knowing he will never be normal again—no, they're tears of relief, of freedom, of a new beginning, of a window of opportunity that was finally opening for him.

They're tears of hope. They're the tears of a hope he thought died long ago, forcefully resurrected and brought into a new life. He's so happy he could burst, and he thinks he already has, and this is the happiest he's been ever since he found that new job at the museum in Red Mesa.

He's going to be free. Henry is going to set him free. 

-

Once again, it's eerily quiet. And once again, Dave doesn't know if he likes it. 

At least this time with the quiet, he knows it isn't from a surprise attack from a long-lost Toppat member seeking to… do whatever it was Henry was doing last time. Either way, rumors of a meeting with “Chief” Reginald and his Right Hand Man at the cockpit about the orbital station launch spread around. They'd be discussing what the preparations were once the airship arrived at the jungle base, as well as how they’d be helping the other divisions (Dave didn't even know they _had_ other divisions). Attendance was required, and any Toppat not present for the meeting was considered a traitor and thrown off the airship immediately—aside from those that went missing before it was being held. Of course, that included Henry. Dave doubts he’s even going to show up on launch day.

When _is_ he going to show up, though? He's been playing the waiting game for three days. It sounds selfish, but he's getting impatient.

Dave looks to the escape on the other side of the room. The window in his cell doesn't let him see much of his outside surroundings, and the escape pod is in a corner of the room just barely reachable by sight, but he still finds his gaze wandering there. He never looked at it much during the past months he was held captive, knowing it’d make him sad if he kept staring, but right now he thinks he can allow himself this long look. He has been waiting for so long for any sign of something good for him. Freedom is close, almost palpable enough for him to hold it in his hands.

He wants it so badly. He can’t stop himself from wanting it. 

Henry is giving both of them the very thing they wanted ever since they got on this airship: freedom. An opportunity to find a space to live in where nothing feels restricted, a wind that breezes right through you and does not stop, a chance to finally breathe. What their liberation from the Toppat Clan means is different for them: for Dave, it's pretty much literal. He has been here for far too long and desperately wants out. What it means for Henry isn't something that Dave can speak on, but he knows that one thing is certain: he doesn't want to be here. Something, most likely his parents, is holding him down, and he can't take it anymore. Whatever miscommunication there is between them has reached a point where talking things out won't do it for Henry, and Dave suspects he's the exact reason why.

Come to think of it, he never knew why Henry had crashed into the airship the way he did and took control in the first place. With everything he's learned about him, Dave is almost certain that he never wanted to be the leader, and that it was never part of the plan when he infiltrated their airship. When their eyes locked that day, Dave didn't sense any desire for power in Henry’s gaze. What he saw in those eyes was a hunger the exact same thing he's giving both of them now—freedom.

One of the doors to the brig opens with a hiss, and with it two Toppats are kicked to the ground while another with an orange hat comes up from behind them. The third Toppat picks both of them up and drags them into their cells, and Dave realizes all too late who these new prisoners are. They were the ones that are brig duty.

Something happened to Henry.

“This isn't fair!” the Toppat in the cell directly next to him—Geoffrey—yells, banging his fists against the cell door. “Are you seriously going to believe some random girl who broke out of The Wall over our leader?!”

“Maybe not, but I’ll believe Chief Reginald over him,” the Toppat in orange responds. “He's not a good leader. You both should know this, why is this your hill to die on?”

“It isn't about if he’s a good leader or not!” the other prisoner—Thomas—argues. “Reginald shouldn't be resorting to overthrowing Henry just because he abandoned that girl at The Wall! That's his son! Do you really think that's a reasonable course of action, Floyd?”

The Wall? Overthrowing? Abandonment? 

It’s almost as if every single worst-case scenario for Dave is showing up the exact moment he thought he'd finally have a break. Of course. Of course this would happen to him. Of course something bad would happen to Henry. Good things never come to him. It’s a miracle he can even feel himself breathing right now. 

“If it weeds out a weak leader, then I’m all for it. Family or not,” Floyd retorts. “Look at what happened to Terrence. You think Henry wasn't in for the same fate?”

“Terrence was different! He was actually making things worse for us!” Thomas shouts. “Henry hasn't done that for us!”

“Not yet.”

“He WON’T! He WILL live and he WILL show you how wrong you are!”

Almost as if on queue, something crashes into Dave’s cell. The impact of the crash knocks the guard down and his orange top hat flies off his head. He stares at the scene in awe, still reeling from the panic attack he had, and is still somewhat having, without really processing what he's looking at. It isn't until the body on top of Floyd shifts (he didn't even _notice_ that what had caused the crash was a body) to face him with an awkward smile and small wave that he realizes who caused it. His breathing feels restored almost instantly. 

Henry gets up and dusts himself off, clutching his chest in pain and then turning his attention to his loyalists in their cells. Dave can see him scrambling for ideas on what to do in his head, and Floyd is regaining consciousness and is close to realizing Henry wasn’t thrown overboard like he was supposed to be. Time feels like it's slowing down as more and more happens, and in that slowdown he notices an option that he never thought would be available to him before. 

The door. It's open.

The door is open—not neatly, not unlocked with keys, but it's open. A hole in the wall formed by a crash. A space he can reach out into where he used to linger, but never for long. An opportunity for freedom, if he just crouches and crawls out or tackles that Toppat right in front of him.

He's never tried to take something as his by force. He was never the type, always too cowardly and a little too much of a pushover to assert himself when he needed to. It was like that in the police force, it was like that at the museum, and there's no way he would still be alive right now if it wasn't like that on the airship. He had to be cowardly to survive in his prison, and only allowed himself to be strong when he knew they couldn't see him. But he doesn't have to let himself be that way anymore. This is a risk he needs to take. He has to open his door with force. 

Dave breathes in, crouching near the hole and readying himself for attack.

“C’mon Dave, you got this.”

And he tackles the guard with all he has, which isn’t much, and gets his ass handed to him for the effort. Floyd anticipates his attack, grabbing and tossing him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground, and Dave groans in pain. Floyd looms over him for a bit, almost as if he's about to do something worse, until Henry delivers a swift chop to his neck and knocks him unconscious for good. The biggest sigh of relief escapes Dave and he chuckles to himself. 

“Good… good teamwork,” he tells him, not expecting a response as Henry tries to find the key for the cells on Floyd’s person. 

Henry fishes it out of a back pocket, and smiles at Dave before helping him off of the ground and taking his hand in his. Dave smiles back.

-

Henry takes his hand again when leading him and the rest of the escapees out of the pod, which happened to land in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico.

The heat is sweltering, enough to make Dave need to bend down for a bit to catch his breath. New Mexico's dry air and hot temperatures were unforgiving for the shitty all-black uniform he was stuck in for months, which he’s surprised lasted as long as it did. His hat was torn and there were rips in his pants and shirt, but he still stands underneath the sun and back on the ground with them on. He breathes in the scorching desert air and exhales through his mouth. 

He’s free. 

Henry had made a promise to him that he'd set him free, and he’d delivered. It definitely didn't go as planned, seeing as there was an intruder that Henry didn't anticipate and a dethroning that Dave thought would've meant the end for any chance of freedom he had. But that hadn't stopped him; nothing’s ever stopped him from getting what he wants, and Dave has seen that firsthand. It had irritated him at first, especially given the aftermath of some of his escapades, but now he admires it more than anything. He never could bring himself to feel any sort of resentment for Henry even after the penitentiary incident.

Rupert always used to say that Dave was a nice person underneath it all, that no matter what happened or what he faced in any situation that he could never hold a grudge or let himself stay mad. He looks back at Henry now, who's staring at the escape pod and the corpses crushed under it, and he knows that Rupert was right.

Thomas stands next to Henry, a hand on his shoulder and a grim look on his face. He was the one who questioned what they ran into during their descent, and it seems now he's getting his answer. Geoffrey, on the other hand, doesn't look back to the escape pod at all. Seems he doesn't want to think about it.

“Henry, I’m so sorry,” Thomas tells him, his voice nothing short of sincere and apologetic. “I know you didn't want this to happen, I don't know what to say… Just, just know that if they were here, they-”

Henry shushes him, then signs something that Dave can loosely translate as ‘It’s fine’. Clearly, it isn't, given how he doesn't even look at Thomas to respond, but Thomas doesn't push it. Henry has more important things to worry about. They all do.

Three former Toppats and an ex-prisoner. What a wild group. He wonders what's next for them.

Going back to the airship obviously isn't an option—none of them want to go back, even if Thomas and Geoffrey’s departure was only because of them being the only ones who supported Henry while he was being dethroned. Dave has been cooped up in there for far too long, and the only thing he even thought about in his last moments there was getting out. Henry has no obligation to go back there anymore with Reginald and the Right Hand Man’s deaths, and whoever that girl who broke in has the entire clan turned against him. Going back is a death sentence for all four of them.

Dave doesn't think he has anywhere left to go on his own. His house probably has debt notices and threats of eviction piled up at his doorstep, and he has no idea where he'd apply for a job in the likely case that the museum is still being repaired. His bank account probably got drained of all his savings since he was captured, too. He is not looking forward to seeing his numbers in the negative after months of isolation and imprisonment. Plus, he knows for a fact he needs therapy after this, which is expensive as all hell even with his insurance. He can't build his life back up on his own.

Henry turns away from the escape pod after however long it's been, making his way to Dave and gently putting his hands on his shoulders. He flinches, but settles down once he remembers that it's Henry. He looks into his eyes. His eyes have a glint of determination in them.

“Dave-”

“Hold on, don't talk if you can't,” Dave interrupts him. “The night, um… before you left. You were coughing a lot. So don’t speak too much if you can't. I-I know ASL.”

Henry stares at him with wide eyes, and slowly removes his hands off of Dave’s shoulders to sign to him. ‘You're free now. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through, but I’m glad that I could finally make it up to you like this.’

His signing is slow and deliberate, like he isn't sure if Dave can completely understand what he's trying to say. It _has_ been a while since he's brushed up on his ASL, but his message comes across perfectly clear. But it's slightly endearing how cautious he's being, so he keeps quiet on it for now.

“Thank you,” is all he responds with. “Please don't apologize, though. It's fine. I mean it.”

Henry doesn't look like he believes it, but he carries on. ‘I know you probably don't want to stick around with us for long. I can try and drop you off to the nearest military base and make them get in contact with your old partner, since he’s in the army now. That way you can get your life back together for good. It's your call, though.’

His call.

It amazes Dave that he actually gets a say in this after spending so long having decisions made _for_ him. He was worried he was going to be stuck with them without having a choice, because he’s been missing for several months and has lots of grounds to get all three of them arrested as members of a criminal organization. But none of them look at him like they're pressuring him to stay. Thomas gives him a warm smile and Geoffrey has an encouraging look on his face. Henry looks expectant, but he knows there's nothing malicious behind his look. He trusts him to make the decision that he feels will help him more.

Malicious intent or not, it doesn't matter. Dave's already made up his mind.

“I'm staying with you.”

His answer surprises Henry, but not in the bad way. He smiles at him and nods his head, turning east of the escape pod. He gestures for the rest of them to follow his lead.

‘We need to find somewhere to rest,’ he tells them. ‘That's top priority. We can talk about everything else afterwards.’

Dave follows, walking right up to Henry's side. Thomas takes his other side, and Geoffrey ends up next to Thomas. Everything feels uncertain as they keep walking in the sweltering heat of New Mexico's desert land, unsure if there's even a city or town nearby, but nobody stops. Henry, especially, does not even consider stopping for a moment.

Henry takes Dave's hand in his and grips it tight, and all Dave can think of is how he helped him off of the ground before they escaped the airship for good. There is so much uncertainty in every step forward, even as a city comes closer into everyone's view. Henry doesn't know where they're going to stay, Thomas and Geoffrey don't know how to emotionally help Henry, Dave doesn't know if his stay is temporary or permanent, and none of them have a solid plan for the future. But that's fine. He welcomes their unknown future together. With Henry's hand in his, he feels like he might finally have a say in what that future will be.

They've got this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am... very proud of how this turned out for my first fic for THSC. i feel like there are things i could have changed obviously, but overall i'm really happy with how this turned out and i hope you're all satisfied with its end as well.
> 
> i feel as though a lot of this fic might be hard to comprehend because it's all through dave's POV. i debated on whether or not i wanted the second chapter to include switches to henry's POV, but i decided against it because i feel as though it works better that a lot of what henry does isn't fully understood by dave. i also wanted their relationship to become more romantic near the end, but i went back on that since they're only just getting to know each other and dave needs time before he can enter a relationship. there's really only implications of small crushes on each side now, so feel free to read into those if you want.
> 
> the last thing i want to note is that i have a sequel planned for this, taking place directly after the events here and following the good gents' lives together after escaping the airship. i'm still working on the outline for it, but i am excited to write it and i hope you all look forward to it as well.
> 
> thank you for reading!


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